Today’s edition of quick hits:
* Portland protests: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday that the federal government had agreed to withdraw its law enforcement officers from Portland, where violent protests have persisted for weeks — but the Department of Homeland Security indicated it would keep its officers on the ground for the time being.
* Look for more on this on tonight’s show: “Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, who has refused to wear a mask, tested positive for the coronavirus Wednesday shortly before he was expected to travel with President Donald Trump to Texas.”
* On the Hill today: “Google came under fire for limiting other websites’ traffic, Facebook faced questions about its purchase of Instagram and Amazon was accused of raising diaper prices as lawmakers on Wednesday opened a rare congressional hearing into whether tech executives have harmed the economy by operating monopolies.”
* Brennan: “In the fall of 2018, when former CIA director John Brennan decided to write his memoir, he asked the agency for his official records, including his notes and any documents that he had reviewed and signed that were classified. The CIA, where Brennan had worked for nearly 30 years, said no. It was a break with decades of tradition.”
* I have a hunch this wasn’t an isolated incident: “A man who vandalized an auto parts store in Minneapolis during protests over the death of George Floyd is believed to have ties to a white supremacy group and was trying to stir tensions, according to a new court filing.” * It sure looks like South Carolina’s Republican governor fired these education officials for telling him what he didn’t want to hear: “A week after South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster urged schools to reopen for in-person classes five days a week, board members for the Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics, who voted to hold virtual classes in the fall, were replaced.” * If I thought they’d listen, I’d send this to my relatives who consume conservative media: “Why is the U.S. enduring a far more severe virus outbreak than any other rich country? There are multiple causes, but one of them is the size and strength of right-wing media organizations that frequently broadcast falsehoods. The result is confusion among many Americans about scientific facts that are widely accepted, across the political spectrum, in other countries.” See you tomorrow.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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